The Next Karate Kid
by Chucky Ray
Summary: This is a rewrite of the horrible last film and what I believe should have happened instead. Years later after attending college, Daniel gets married and becomes the father to a beautiful little girl that he names Grace. He reunites with Mr. Miyagi after the death of his wife to ask him to help him raise his daughter before going off to the military.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One; A Tragic Event

 _A quick note from the author; Hey everyone! This is my first Karate Kid fanfic and I really hope you enjoy it! I've loved the first three films ever since I was a kid, but I've always hated the fourth film and that's probably due to the fact that I've always cherished the relationship between Daniel and his sensei Mr. Miyagi, how it sort of blossomed into a friendship and then sort of a grandfather (figure) grandson relationship. So being inspired by that, this idea sort of popped into my head, and please go ahead and review and tell me what you think!_

Daniel couldn't believe it, he had won the tournament twice in a row. Of course he couldn't have done any of it without his lifelong friend and sensei Mr. Miyagi. When Mr. Miyagi first started teaching him karate, Daniel would never have imagined that he would teach him much more than actually attacking and blocking. He couldn't explain it, but he finally understood Mr. Miyagi now and how there was so much more to karate than beating people up, even if they picked on you.

"I can't believe it Mr. Miyagi we won!" he cried excitedly as they exited the building and walked into the parking lot side by side but Miyagi simply just grinned and shook his head.

"Never had doubts." He responded and Daniel realized instantly at that moment how much he had cared about him and just how proud he actually was of his student. That's when all of a sudden they turned their heads and saw a bunch of blinking police cars parked a crossed the street.

"Hey what is this, what's going on?" Daniel wondered as he started racing over to a police officer that was stepping out of his car.

"Excuse me, would your name happen to be Daniel Larusso?" the policeman questioned him.

"Yeah, why?" Daniel asked him back.

"Then I'm afraid that I've got some bad news for you. Your mother was killed in a plane crash on her way back home to see you." He explained.

"What?" Daniel questioned him with bewilderment and disbelief.

"I'm sorry Daniel, but you have to come with us so we can find you a foster family to live with. We've been sent here to this location collect you." He told him as Daniel quickly turned and glanced back at Miyagi who had been watching him solemnly from afar.

"No! I don't want to go! Miyagi needs me! He's all alone!" he cried as he quickly took a gigantic step back.

"I'm sorry Daniel but it's for your own good." The police officer told him. "Now come on, come with us." He said.

"No!" Daniel hollered loudly. "I'm not leaving!" he shouted when all of a sudden he felt his sensei standing next to him.

"Leave boy alone." He said firmly as Daniel turned to look up at him eagerly. "Miyagi take care of him." He told him.

"What? You will?" Daniel asked him with astonishment suddenly feeling taken aback.

"Hai." He responded with a nod before he suddenly felt himself being pulled inside a tight embrace.

"Thank you Mr. Miyagi." Daniel said as he hugged his sensei tightly.

"You're welcome, Daniel-San." He told him as he hugged him back and patted the top of his head. "Miyagi has grown rather fond of you." He said as Daniel smiled up at him and continued hugging him tightly. "Alright Daniel-San, that is enough, let's go home." He said before they broke the embrace and headed back over a crossed the street towards the parking lot.

 _…_ _.._

Miyagi parked the truck in front of his house and the two men got out of it. "Are you alright Daniel-San?" Miyagi questioned before slamming the door behind him. "You have not said a word since we left parking lot." He told him.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just need some rest alright?" Daniel said avoiding eye contact with him before he rushed inside the house and dashed inside his bedroom. A few moments later his bedroom door slid open and Miyagi was standing in front of him with a knowing look on his face while Daniel simply just looked at the ground. "Look Mr. Miyagi, I really appreciate what you did for me tonight, it means a lot to me." He told him with a sniff.

"Means a lot to Miyagi too, that boy finally came home. Miyagi's heart full again." He responded. "But that does not mean that it isn't alright for boy to feel hurt for loss of mother." He told him.

"Look I'm fine alright!? I just need some sleep, that's all! Now please just go away and leave me alone!" he shouted before he quickly turned his body away from him. That's when a few seconds later Miyagi bent down and grabbed his arms pulling him back towards him to face him and looked at the tears that were in his eyes and streaming down his cheeks.

"Miyagi can't do that Daniel-San. Miyagi care too much." He told him softly as Daniel realized that his own eyes were welling up with tears. That's when all of a sudden without even stopping to think about it Daniel flung himself into his arms as Miyagi sat down next to him and rested his chin on the top of his head. "It's alright Daniel-San," he began as he gently rocked him back and forth and rested his head against his. "Miyagi's here." He told him while Daniel continued to sob and gave out another sniff.

"Thanks." Daniel began quietly. "I love you." He whispered as Miyagi nodded again.

"Hai, Miyagi knows. And he feels exactly the same way about Daniel-San. He is like grandson to him." He told him. "And he will always be there for him to care for and protect him whenever he needs him." He explained before Daniel closed his eyes and fell asleep inside his arms. Miyagi pulled back the covers and tucked him inside the bed. "Arigatou Daniel-San," he began as he bent over the bed and gazed down at him. "You help Miyagi understand that he hasn't lost as much as he thought he did." He told him before he stood up, turned off the light, and left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two; The Long Goodbye

The next morning after breakfast, Mr. Miyagi drove Daniel down to the cemetery. They were both dressed inside their thick black robes and stood silently and solemnly by Lucille's headstone while the minister read from out of the bible. "Surely, goodness, and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen." He said.

After the ceremony was over Miyagi and Daniel silently walked side by side back to the parking lot. "You alright Daniel-San?" he questioned him.

"No. I've got too much stuff on my mind." He responded.

"Talk to Miyagi about it." His sensei told him.

"Well, my mother's dead and I've got to be leaving for college pretty soon. The two of us are going to be all alone again." He explained but Miyagi simply just shook his head at him.

"Daniel-San never alone. He will always have Miyagi with him. Just like mother. Karate is more than just in the body,.. karate in the mind and in the heart as well. As long as Daniel-San remembers that, then Miyagi will always be with him." He explained as a moment of silence fell between them. "Come Daniel-San, Miyagi has a special gift that he wants to give you." He explained.

 _…_

Daniel sat down on top of his bed while Miyagi carried a small wooden box over to him and sat down next to him. "Here Daniel-San, Miyagi has been wanting to give this to you for quite some time now." He explained before he handed it to him and Daniel slowly lifted back the lid and saw Miyagi's medal inside of it.

"Mr. Miyagi, you're giving me your medal? What's this for? You worked really hard to get this why are you giving it to me?" he wondered.

"For exact same reason Daniel-San."

"But I wasn't in the military." Daniel told him.

"Miyagi knows. That doesn't mean that you haven't earned it. You have studied and worked as hard as any student of mine Daniel-San." He said.

"Yeah that's probably because I was your only student." Daniel told him but Mr. Miyagi simply shook his head again.

"Doesn't matter, Miyagi doesn't care. If he had a hundred different pupils, you would always be his favorite." He explained.

"Wow, you mean I really get to keep this?" Daniel questioned him.

"Hai." Mr. Miyagi began as he removed the medal from out of the box and put it around his neck. "You deserve it Daniel-San, I am very proud to call you my student and grandchild." He told him as tears of joy ran down Daniel's face.

"Gee Mr. Miyagi thank you, this is the best present that anyone has ever given me." He told him with a sniff while he examined his medal.

"You're welcome Daniel-San, but you may call me Grandfather Miyagi if you wish,.. or just Miyagi, whatever you'd like." He told him before he stood up and glanced back at him. "I guess that you better pack for education in college now." He said sadly.

"Yeah, I guess so." Daniel said before Miyagi turned to leave the room. "Uh listen," he began loudly. "I just wanted to say thanks again for this I really appreciate it. And I'm,.. I'm really going to miss you." He told him.

"Hai Daniel-San, even though he knows that it's what's best for you, Miyagi won't be the same without you." He told him before he turned to leave the room.

Then before they knew it, the big day had finally arrived. Mr. Miyagi helped Daniel finish packing the trunk of the taxicab with his suitcases before slamming it shut. "Well, that's it. Daniel-San already for college now." He said before he turned around and started walking back over towards him.

"Wanna bet?" Daniel asked before he grabbed ahold of him and hugged him tightly. "I'm going to miss you so much." He told him as Miyagi suddenly put his own arms around him and patted his back.

"I know Daniel-San." He began with a nod. "Miyagi will miss you too." He told him before he broke out of the embrace and grabbed ahold of his face. "Just remember all that I taught you, and you will be fine, alright?" he questioned him as Daniel nodded.

"Alright, alright I will." He assured him as Miyagi smiled at him and leaned in towards him before kissing his cheek.

"Goodbye Daniel-San, you will always be in Miyagi's heart." He told him before they wrapped their arms around each other for one more tight embrace and then Miyagi reluctantly let go as he watched his boy climb inside the front seat of the cab before slamming his door tightly.

"Miyagi love you." He whispered to himself as he watched the cab driver back away down the driveway and drive away through his teary eyes. Then as soon as it was gone he turned around and walked away instantly regretting his decision not to tell him that himself before he left.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three; Seven Years Later

It had been several years since Miyagi had last seen Daniel in person. For he had sent his sensei letters and pictures rather frequently, but Miyagi had understood that he had come rather busy once he had married Lisa and become the father of a beautiful little baby girl that they named Danielle Grace Larusso, but had called either Grace or Gracie for short. Miyagi looked over his old letters that Daniel had sent him.

He saw a six month baby girl with curly golden hair and bright blue eyes blossom into a seven year old little girl with wavy brown hair and light blue-greenish eyes. That morning as he went down to his mailbox to check and see if Daniel had left him anything new, sure enough he saw a letter that was addressed to him from all the way from southern California. He took it inside his house and carried it all the way over to his desk before putting on his reading glasses and turning on the lamp so that he could read it.

 _Dear Miyagi,_

 _I'm afraid that I have some rather bad news, but I have some good news as well. First you should know that my wife Lisa had been struggling with breast cancer for the last several months. The reason that I didn't write to tell you about it was because I didn't want you to worry about me. Anyway, she died last night in the hospital. I told Gracie that her mother went to Heaven to be with the angels and she took it surprisingly well for a kid her age. Anyway, the good news is that I'm coming back to see you because I have a rather huge favor that I would prefer to tell you in person._

 _Love, Daniel_

A smile crept onto Miyagi's face. He felt horrible that Daniel's wife and Gracie's mother had passed away, but he was glad that he would be able to get to see the boy that he had loved like a grandson and whom had now blossomed into a man, and to meet his daughter face to face for the very first time. For he had seen from the pictures just how beautiful she really was and how she really reminded him of her father except for her mother's eyes. Even though the letter didn't exactly say _when_ they were coming, he was just excited about the fact that they were, and nothing else mattered to him for the time being.

Meanwhile Daniel had been driving his daughter to Miyagi's house from the airport. He had told his daughter all about his old friend and karate teacher, in which she had really seemed excited about because she was really interested in karate, (although her parents had told her with ballet, gymnastics, Girl Scouts, and school itself she was too busy with the activities that she had already besides her homework and chores that she had to do) but she was relatively quiet about it due to the fact that she was a pretty shy girl and her parents had thought that all of her activities would help her open up.

"Were going to see Mr. Miyagi today." Daniel told his daughter eagerly as he gazed at her in the backseat from his rearview mirror and smiled. Although he had a feeling that he was more excited about seeing him than she was. He figured that to her, Mr. Miyagi couldn't possibly be more exciting than the movie she was watching on her portable DVD player. The only movies that Gracie like to watch (apart from a few exceptions) were Disney princess movies ever since her parents had taken her to Disneyland a few years ago.

Daniel pulled into that old familiar driveway that he had loved so much from his own childhood before he parked it and threw off his seatbelt before turning around to look towards the backseat. "Alright Gracie we're here," he began. "time to put the movie on pause." He told her which she finally obeyed in the end (reluctantly while she breathed a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes) and shut off the movie before closing the lid and taking off her seatbelt.

Daniel turned off the engine and the two of them climbed out of the car and slammed their doors tightly shut behind them. Then after that Daniel picked up his little girl and carried her over to the door since she was too afraid to do it herself. She hid her face inside his chest while he rang the doorbell. A few seconds later Miyagi answered the door.

"Daniel-San?" he questioned with astonishment and disbelief before he stepped outside and quickly shut the door behind him. "Is that really you?" he wondered with such incredibility and bewilderment as Daniel stifled a laugh and nodded.

"Yes Mr. Miyagi, it's really me. I'm here." He told him when all of a sudden he found himself being pulled into a tight embrace as Miyagi threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh my Daniel-San, I have missed you so." He told him as tears started welling up inside his eyes. "And you have grown." He said.

"I know Mr. Miyagi, that's why I'm here. I have to talk to you about something." Daniel began after they broke out of the hug. "Mr. Miyagi, meet my seven year old daughter, Grace." He said as he stood back up and Miyagi looked down at the small child who was still hiding inside her father's arms. "You'll have to forgive her, she's kind of shy." He explained when suddenly Miyagi bent down and placed his hands on top of his knees.

"Well konichiwa Grace-San." He told her as she quickly let out a sudden gasp.

"You talk funny." She said after a moment.

"Grace!" Daniel scolded.

"Ie, that's alright Daniel-San, daughter doesn't understand yet." Miyagi began while he stood back up and shook his head. "Miyagi from Okinawa." He explained.

"Huh?" Grace questioned him as he simply smiled at her affectionately.

"Japan." He responded. "Anyway, that brings Miyagi to question. What are Daniel-San and daughter doing here now?" he wondered.

"Well you see Miyagi that's what I wanted to talk to you about." He began before he set Grace down and followed him back inside. That's when he dug into his pocket and handed him a rolled up piece of paper.

"What is paper that you are giving me?" Miyagi questioned before grabbing his glasses off the desk and putting them on his face as he began to unroll it and his heart sunk when he discovered that it was a military application. "Daniel-San, you're going to be in army?" he asked him.

"Yeah, you know, just like you were." Daniel told him.

"Daniel-San not like Miyagi," he began with a shake of his head. "Daniel-San have daughter to care for! And he should be grateful and thank his lucky stars for it!" he yelled angrily before shoving the form back inside his arms and started hurrying away.

"Miyagi please, listen to me!" Daniel cried as he ran after him. "Look I know you're upset that I just came back and now I'm leaving again, but I've got to do this. That's why I need your help." He told him as he stopped beside his sensei who halted in front of the bedroom door and avoided eye contact with him.

"What do you need Miyagi to do?" he asked him.

"Help me raise my daughter." Daniel told him when suddenly he glance over at him and once again shook his head.

"Miyagi too old to take care of girl." He told him.

"Yeah I know but that's what you said about me,.. well,.. not the girl part,.. but anyway, look how great I turned out. Please Miyagi I'm begging you, Gracie just lost her mother. I need to go to do this for my country, and she won't have a friend in the world if you don't help her. I don't want her to be all alone because I know how that feels like. You once told me that you would always be there for me when I needed you, so please help me. I need you right now." Daniel told him. "Promise me that you'll take care of her while I'm gone." He said.

"Alright Daniel-San, Miyagi do it for you on one condition." He began.

"Sure what is it, name it?" Daniel questioned as a moment of silence fell between them.

"That you return to Miyagi and daughter safely. Miyagi can't afford to lose you again." He explained.

"Alright, it's a deal. Thank you Mr. Miyagi you're the best, you have no idea how much this means to me!" Daniel exclaimed before Miyagi turned to watch him run back out the door.

"You're welcome Daniel-San, but Miyagi's heart broken." He said quietly to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four; Milk and Cookies

Miyagi watched as Daniel came out of his bedroom wearing his uniform. "Daniel-San, look so grownup in uniform." He began. "And Miyagi is proud of him. So very proud." He told him with a nod.

"Thank you Mr. Miyagi," Daniel began before he threw his arms around him and embraced him tightly. "thank you for everything." He told him.

"Hai, you're welcome Daniel-San." Mr. Miyagi before he broke out of the hug and grabbed ahold of his face while gazing into his eyes. "I_ love_ you." He told him breaking the words up into a bunch of syllables.

"I love you too." Daniel said feeling as though he was on the sudden verge of tears.

"Here is suitcase." Miyagi told him as he picked it up off of the ground and handed it to him. "Goodbye Daniel-San, I'll never forget you." He said as Daniel grabbed ahold of the strap and placed it around his shoulder.

"Oh believe me, neither will I. Hey listen, could you please say goodbye to Gracie for me. I would do it myself but I think that it would be too hard for her to let me go." He said as Miyagi nodded.

"Hai, Miyagi understand. Don't worry Daniel-San, I will." He assured him before he took a deep breath and heaved a heavy sigh as he watched his former student walk out of the front door and shut it tightly behind him. "Be safe Daniel-San." He said to himself once Daniel had disappeared and then Miyagi turned to walk back towards Daniel's old bedroom.

"Grace-San, are you in there!?" he called loudly when all of a sudden he heard muffled sobs coming from out the back door. He went to go investigate and sure enough, there was the seven year old little girl sitting on top of the porch. "You alright Grace-San?" he asked her as he stood behind her and watched her from afar.

"No, I want to go home! I miss my mommy and daddy,.." she began before she took a deep breath and carried on. "and my school, and all my friends." She explained.

"Hai, Miyagi understand." He began with a nod.

"Don't you mean that _you_ understand?" Grace questioned him.

"Hai, that's what I said." He told her.

"No,.." she began before taking a slight pause. "when you are referring to yourself you say I. You don't have to keep saying your name all the time. And why do you keep saying hi?" she wondered as Miyagi simply just grinned at her.

"Hai, is the Japanese word for yes." He explained.

"Oh,.. well I didn't know I'm not Japanese." she told him.

"Would Grace-San like to come inside and have milk and cookie?" he questioned as she quickly leapt up onto her feet.

"Now you're talking!" she exclaimed. "It's almost as if you can read my mind, I'd thought you'd never ask." She told him as Miyagi chuckled before he bent down and picked her up holding her to his hip.

"Do you have any kids?" she wondered as he carried her inside.

"No," he began with a shake of his head. "wife and child die at birth." He explained. "Daniel-San closest to it." He told her while carrying her over to the kitchen table and sat her down in the chair. "Does Grace-San like to dip her cookies in milk, or eat them separately?" he questioned her.

"Separately please." She replied as she watched him go to the kitchen cupboards and remove a pack of chocolate cookies out of one of them. "My oggy?" she questioned before he turned around to face her. "Is Daddy going to go to Heaven just like Mommy did?" she asked him reluctantly.

"I don't know," he began with a shrug of his shoulders. "I wish I knew. All that we can do is pray he comes back for you." He explained while he set the cookies down on top of the counter.

"Why? Don't you like me?" she asked him.

"Of course I do Grace-San, didn't mean it like that. You deserve father, and you deserve to be with him." He told her as he walked over to the refrigerator and got out the carton of milk and set it down on the counter next to the cookies. "Miyagi have great faith in father." He said.

"Don't you mean _my_ father?" Grace wondered as he got out a glass from one of the other cupboards.

"Hai." He answered before he started pouring the milk inside the glass.

"I have an idea." Grace began. "I'm very good at English and you're very good at Japanese, so why don't we help each other out to understand each other and our language better?" she suggested as Miyagi twisted the cap back on top of the milk and grinned at her.

"Good plan." He told her before he brought her glass of milk over to the table and set it in front of her and then putting the milk carton away back in the fridge. Then he removed several cookies from the pack and split them up so that they each could have some and sat down next to her to enjoy his snack. That's when Grace decided to try dunking her cookie inside her glass and took a bite.

"Hey, that is pretty good. You should try it." She told him.

"Well,.. alright, I'll try." He told her as a sly grin came onto his face before he dunked his cookie into the milk and took a bite.

"It's good isn't it?" she questioned him excitedly.

"Oh yes Grace-San. Very good." Miyagi told her before they finished their snack together.


End file.
